70-year-old Paso Robles man cops to child molestation charges

April 30, 2014

A 70-year-old man, who co-owns the Franklin Hot Springs in Paso Robles, is facing up to 22 years in prison for molesting three children. [Tribune]

Paso Robles resident Leonard Ray Franklin pled guilty Tuesday to two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a minor under 14 and one count of a lewd or lascivious act on a child under 14. Prosecutors alleged that Franklin abused three child relatives of his, ages 3, 13 and 15, several times over the last decade.

Franklin allegedly used the 3-year-old to create child pornography and began abusing the victim when the child was a 2-year-old. He now awaits sentencing, which is scheduled for July 8.